Time to Tee Up and Hit A Pinata!

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Post by bobheckler Sat Jul 29, 2017 11:29 am

MY NOTE: Normally, I save my comments to the end, so as to not influence you as you read it yourself, but this time I couldn't help myself. This author is an idiot, in my opinion, a human pinata. If someone hit him with a bat he'd probably vomit up candy and gifts, not words of wisdom...


https://www.celticsblog.com/2017/7/29/16061498/avery-bradley-is-out-now-we-just-need-isaiah-thomas-gone



Avery Bradley is OUT, now trade Isaiah for Kyrie!


By source_lead  @source_lead


on Jul 29, 2017, 1:28am EDT 14



My Fellow Celtics fans,

We can all celebrate the departure of Avery Bradley as now we have one less mediocre player on the roster. I know he's a fan favorite for his work ethic and strong character, but some times you have to face the facts. He's 6'2 180lb, so his elite defense is only relevant to opposing guards. He has absolutely no handles, often loses the ball off his own leg (just like Isaiah Thomas), he can't pass the ball, and if there was ever a stat for MISSING OPEN LAYUPS... I would bet money on Avery Bradley leading the league. I've never seen 1 guy miss so many open layups, let alone a starter in the NBA.

Prior to 2014 he couldn't hit a shot. So, it took him 5 years of training to become a consistent shooter, albeit not a shooter who can create his own shot off the dribble. And before any of you Bradley apologists argue that fact, I'm talking about taking his defender, facing the hoop, off the dribble for a pull up. I'm not saying he can't create his own shot off the occasional pump fake, side step, pull up. He's OKAY at doing that, but that's not really a move. It's easy to get a defender who's running at you full speed to bite on a pump fake. It's much harder to get a defender who's already in front of you to bite on a dribble fake. Bradley couldn't do that if Allen Iverson's NBA Ghost jumped inside his body!

So, I'm sorry to burst everyone's bubble but aside from being able to guard opposing guards (1 and 2) and hit basically uncontested jumpers, he offers nothing else. And, just in case the bubble hasn't burst yet, keep in mind all the other scrubs who have excelled under Brad Stevens: Evan Turner (became an all time triple double leader in C's history, yet sucked for Philly and Indy and now sucks at Portland) Jordan Crawford (got a triple double in Boston, seriously. Praises coach Stevens), Jonas Jerebko, Amir Johnson (career assist % jumped from 8.5 to 13!), Isaiah Thomas (more on him in a bit but by superstar standards: scrub), I could go on and on but the point is Brad Stevens raises the level of play of just about every player he coaches. Now ask yourself, without the presence of coach Stevens, will Avery Bradley excel for Stan VanGundy? Hel* No! Not when all he can do is hit open looks and guard the 1 and 2. Don't kid yourselves. Avery was just above average for Stevens, without him he will FALL to just average. Just like every other player I listed and so many more... they were all average before and after playing for Coach Stevens.

I met the offensive video coordinator for the Houston Rockets a few weeks ago. He shared a few things with me...

1. An NBA coach has to do 3 things well. Install a system. Motivate the players. Be great at executing out of timeout plays.

I said, "I hear Brad Stevens is good at that..." and he replied,

2. Brad Stevens is literally considered the God of out of timeout plays. No exaggeration. He said this off season coach D'Antoni (who he works directly under) tasked him with gathering video footage of EVERY SINGLE Steven's out of timeout play from the entire 2016-17 season.

3. His friend who played for Stevens at Butler once told him that Stevens was the only coach he ever played for that the entire team KNEW 100% out of a timeout that they were going to score. There was literally NO doubt. And, if they were losing a game by 1 possession they would almost always tie or take the lead (with a 3). That was business as usual playing for Stevens. Something that Butler player had never experienced before all through middle school, high school, AAU, etc.

I share that story just to say... if you're underestimating the impact Stevens has on a mediocre talent like Avery Bradley, DON'T! How do you think Bradley got so wide open to hit the game winning shot in game 3 vs Cleveland? It was Stevens out of timeout play! Avery was by himself on an island... everyone on the Cavs was glued to hot hand Marcus Smart, so when the C's set a screen for Bradley of course... it worked. #Stevens

Look at what Al Horford said directly after that game. He was amazed by the last 4 or 5 field goals, all of them were out of timeout plays drawn up by coach Stevens. Look up the interview!

Stevens makes half-talents (by NBA standards) like Bradley, Turner, Jerebko, etc, succeed.

When you're ready to stop sobbing, ask yourself this: If Stevens can do all that he's been able to do so far with half-talents, what might he be able to do with real talent like Marcus Morris? Morris set records for the Suns (most points before half time) as well as a heroic 37 pt game less than a half season ago in Detroit. And, if his offensive talent was not enough, at 6'9" 235lb he also posted the most efficient defensive rating on Lebron James in 4 games last year, based on analytics. Of course, you wouldn't know that since all the journalists and bloggers are too busy posting farewell articles about Avery stinking Bradley. The reality is we landed a true stud for pennies on the dollar who can create his own offense and guard the likes of Lebron James (2 things Avery Bradley couldn't do in his dreams) as well as a stud in Aaron Baynes and a soon to be superstar in Gordon Hayward. And yet, the know it all journalists and bloggers tell us we made a mistake trading Bradley. I am literally LOLing.

I'm very excited to see how great Morris can become with Stevens guiding him. We'll only have him for 2 years before he earns himself a major contract elsewhere, but I guarantee it will be an awesome 2 years watching him flourish. I won't even touch on how good Gordon Hayward will be... we all know this guy could morph into Larry Bird 2.0

So to my last point: #THELITTLEGUY!!

First of all let me state that IT is NOT 5'9". Barefoot, he is at MOST 5'7" if you don't believe me look up sites that prove his real height. He's 5'7" max barefoot.

And, let me just say, I'm not an Isaiah hater. I'm all for giving Isaiah 1 more year to prove he can cut out his sh*t now that he has the right weapons around him (Jaylen year 2, Hayward, Morris, Baynes, Tatum).

But, there are serious problems if we pass up on Kyrie Irving and get stuck with this guy. #1 Go back to games vs the Bulls. Stevens literally had to bench Isaiah in crunch time because he was getting abused in the pick n' roll. The Bulls would switch IT onto Butler, who would proceed to shoot right over IT's head! Or, when he felt like truly picking on IT, Butler would back him down to the foul line and pull up for the 15ft fall away that he swishes every time. Thus, Stevens was forced to bench Isaiah. Is this your "max player" ? I don't think so. Sorry, but no NBA all-star, let alone superstar, has to be benched at the end of games unless it's D'Andre Jordan who is not a superstar or max player, and is only benched on OFFENSE (NOT defense) due to FT %.

Now, is it possible w/ the new weapons around IT that Stevens can keep him on the court in end game scenarios? Perhaps! But, he will still have to be tucked away in the far corner of the court. A liability. Say what you want about him and Kyrie Irving being equally bad defenders, but Kyrie Irving doesn't have to subbed out of close games!!

Which brings me to my final point... Right now the Celtics have a chance to trade Isaiah for Kyrie freaking Irving. Kyrie is a once in a generation offensive talent. No one in the league matches his handles, nor his ability to finish at the rim. Oh, and BTW, no one in the league (save Kawhi Leonard) is a better #2 to Lebron. (i argue Kawhi would actually be #1 and Lebron #2 if he joined the Spurs next year) but on Kyrie... the way he's managed to be patient and play the role of Lebron's little brother... always deferring to Lebron, letting Lebron run the offense every possession and then carrying his as* to the Finals... scoring 40+ when the point-forward LeBron offense stalls... it was nothing short of amazing. He showed patience, and maturity excelling next to Lebron James. Imagine what Kyrie would do w/ Stevens at the helm... with Stevens system. Imagine what he would do if he was the one that got all of Isaiah's pick n' roll opportunities. He would be truly unstoppable.

"How do I know? What if Kyrie is just a ball hog?"

First let me answer with a few final points on Isaiah and then back to Kyrie...

If you watch Isaiah closely, and objectively, not only is he a liability on defense but he also gets blocked an extreme amount of times, as well as he fumbles the ball off his own foot or knee far too often, at least once a game! Kyrie is a complete and total upgrade, he's a legit top 10 NBA player. Isaiah, I'm sorry but before he got to Boston/Stevens he was a backup in Phoenix considered a ball-hog punk. Stevens turned his career around as he did with so many other players and deserves high praise for what he's done for IT, much the same as what he did for Evan Turner (landing him a $70M + contract)

I like Isaiah, but I like championships more, and I realize to win championships especially in the superteam era, we need superstar players. Kyrie is just that. IT is not.

Why on earth would Danny Ainge not trade a 30 year old shrimp for a 25 year old phenom? That's hard to figure out because it's a no brainer... we should give up IT, Crowder and the 2018/19 lakers/kings pick for Kyrie. Give Crowder's minutes to Jaylen and Tatum, and Morris and Theis... and insert Kyrie for Isaiah.

As for worrying about Kyrie being a ball hog... no one was more of a ball hog than IT in Phoenix. He literally shot the ball every time it touched his hands. To think Stevens can get Isaiah to buy in, but not Kyrie (who 1. Was smart enough to learn how to excel as second fiddle to LeBron and 2. Put the Spurs on his preferred destination list showing he is open to playing basketball "the Spurs way") is beyond silly. Not only would he play the Spurs/Celtics way... he would flourish!

I realize the Boston "faithful" will be upset to see IT go, just like they were Avery, but you'll forget all about it when you see the new players play. It's no different than when you're upset about trading in your old car, for a new, improved car, until about 20 minutes after driving it off the lot. You forget all about the old steamer real quick. If Ainge and Stevens pass on pursuing Irving, they're passing on a once in a generation talent at the pg position for a 30 year old too-short, too-many-flaws Isaiah Thomas. Not smart!

That said, you guys will probably get your wish for IT to stay, and he might even get the max, but i'll always know that we would have been far better with Kyrie running the point.

This is/was our chance to form a super team and if we get stuck with Isaiah Thomas (when Kyrie Irving of all point guards became available & we had the best asset package to offer for him) we will look back on this missed opportunity and it will haunt us forever. That, I can promise. It's not even about successfully trading for Kyrie, it's about making the Cavs the best possible offer. If we miss out there should be no regrets. No one should be able to say Boston didn't offer enough.

-Jeff Thurman

*Disclaimer: I'm not a journalist so I don't try to impress my readers with a fancy vocabulary or perfectly written articles. No fakenews here folks!



bob


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Post by RosalieTCeltics Sat Jul 29, 2017 3:00 pm

My take on this guy is:

1. He is a big mouth who thinks he knows basketball and doesn't.
2. He is in love with "the man", Kyrie
3. His basketball "insider" comments are a joke, he knows no one
4. He is Gary Tanguay and Michael Felger, all wrapped up into one
5. He is a blithering fool

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Post by gyso Sat Jul 29, 2017 7:53 pm

I read this earlier. It seems that the author likes to insult his target audience at least once a paragraph. I don't believe he fared well in the comments section.

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Post by kdp59 Sun Jul 30, 2017 7:57 am

LOL...he does make a valid point about Brad making at least some players better. Turner and Crawford both as cases there.

some of his arguments about Bradley are valid as well, though I certainly wouldn't buy into all he says. My biggest problem with Bradley has been his injury history.

on one point I hope the writer is spot on...that Hayward becomes Bird-2.

yeah, I'd take that.

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Post by wideclyde Sun Jul 30, 2017 6:22 pm

As a person who started a thread on our forum relating to trading Thomas for Irving, I still like the idea as I believe that we would be a better team if such a trade (one for one) was made. I am not in favor of trading Thomas, Smart, Crowder and even one more draft pick to Cleveland for Irving, but a straight swap of Thomas for Irving would still help the Cs immediately especially with Thomas having no guarantee that he can even play the entire year.

Some of the stuff written about Bradley had some merit as well because Bradley is not a complete NBA player for all the reasons that have been on this forum for many seasons, but that does not make him a "mediocre" NBA player. Every team needs a guy or two like Avery Bradley, and we are going to miss him in many ways.

I also agree that Brad Stevens and his staff have been responsible for helping to make every one of the players who have been around for at least six months better than they were when they joined the Cs except for maybe James Young. If Irving lands in Boston, Stevens and staff will make him better, too.


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Post by fierce Sun Jul 30, 2017 6:58 pm

wideclyde wrote:As a person who started a thread on our forum relating to trading Thomas for Irving, I still like the idea as I believe that we would be a better team if such a trade (one for one) was made.  I am not in favor of trading Thomas, Smart, Crowder and even one more draft pick to Cleveland for Irving, but a straight swap of Thomas for Irving would still help the Cs immediately especially with Thomas having no guarantee that he can even play the entire year.

Some of the stuff written about Bradley had some merit as well because Bradley is not a complete NBA player for all the reasons that have been on this forum for many seasons, but that does not make him a "mediocre" NBA player.  Every team needs a guy or two like Avery Bradley, and we are going to miss him in many ways.

I also agree that Brad Stevens and his staff have been responsible for helping to make every one of the players who have been around for at least six months better than they were when they joined the Cs except for maybe James Young.  If Irving lands in Boston, Stevens and staff will make him better, too.


The problem with a Kyrie for IT swap is it makes the Celts a totally different team.
Maybe for the better or maybe the opposite.

Right now the Celts have something good going.
It's just too big of a risk.

I became a fan of Kyrie when that Uncle Drew commercial came out.
Kyrie is one of the best, if not the best, ball handler in the NBA today.

But it's just too big of a risk at this point in time.
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Post by RosalieTCeltics Sun Jul 30, 2017 8:07 pm

I like where he tells the readers that he is not a journalist! Ya think I would think he was with every run on sentence he wrote? I somehow feel he is a throw back to the old days of BDC!!!!
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Post by wideclyde Sun Jul 30, 2017 10:40 pm

Fierce,

Outside of we know Thomas better than Irving, I am not sure that he would change our team for anything but the better.

Both guys kind of hog the ball, both are offensive minded point guards with a score first mentality, neither plays above and beyond defense, both guys are due up for huge contracts in two years or less, neither rebound particularly well.  

Thomas has gotten better with Stevens as his head coach since arriving and I think that Irving will add to his game under Stevens as well.

If anything, they may equal one another out if traded for each other, but I see Boston winning the deal because Irving is currently signed for an extra year, he is younger and will be resigned after two years for more years of his 'prime' than Thomas, he is a better athlete (bigger, faster and stronger), and so far he has no serious injury concern like Thomas does with his hip. For all of these reasons he is ranked in the top 12-15 players in the league and Thomas, although a very good player for us, is not.

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